Vehicle-wheel.



S. T. KRONBNBERG.` VEHICLE WHEEL.

APPLIOATION mum MAR. 12, 1912.

1,081,757. Patented Dee. 16, 1913.

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FIGJ. 9 2

S. T. KRONENBERG.

VEHICLE WHEEL.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 12, 1012.

Patented Dec. 16, 1913.

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WITNESSES INVENTOR @ammi ffm@ coLunnlA nimm w IN N D @NFFFAD lli`FltGF..

SAMUEL T. KRONENBERG, 0F PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR OFFIFTY-EIVE ONE-HUNDREDTHS TO JOHN C. WLFRAM, OF PITTSBURGH,PENNSYLVANIA.

'VEHICLE-WHEEL.

Loewe?.

T0 all iii/0m it may concern:

Be it known that l, SAMUEL T. KRONEN- mino, a resident of Pittsburgh, inthe county of Allegheny and State of Femtsvlvania, have invented certainnew and usel'ul 'lmprovementsl in Vehicle-lliheels, ot which thefollowing is a specification.

rFhis invention relates to that type oi wheels in Vwhich the body andthe treadcarrying portions are movable relatively to each other, as whencushioning1 means is interposed between them, and the object is toprovide new and ellicient means 'for opposing such relative movement incircumferential direction.

The engaging parts ol the wheel body and rim embody a magnet and a poleconnecting;` armature, in the present adaptation the magnet beine;carried by the body with the rim constituting the armature, and with thelaces of the magnet and the armature slidably engaging the magnet insuch manner as not to-interfere with lthe relative radial play due tothe action of the cushioning means, but opposing,` relative circum'terential movement, the magnetic torce or" pull increasing with thecircumferential movement in such .manner as to prevent unduedisplacement and thereby protect the interposed cushioning means :tromdestructive strains.

ln the accompanying drawings, F iergnre l is an elevation of a portionoi a wheel constructed in accordance with the invention, part A ot thewheel periphery ot said view being in elevation and parts B, C, and I)in section on lines B R, C-C, and D-D, respectively, o'l' Fig. 2. Fig. 2is a vertical cross section on line 2 2, oit Fig. l. Fig.

3 is a. detail of a portion ot one ot the poleforming plates secured tothe wheel, and Fig. t is a similar view oit a portion of one oit thematcrial-torn'iing plates ot the treadcarrying rim. F in'. 5 is asection of the engagging face of the body and rim plates taken on lineomi), of Fig. Fig. G is a diagrammatic 'view illustrating engagement et'the relatively movable magnet and armaturetorming` plates. Fig. 7 is aview similar to Fig. l illustrating another embodiment of the magnet, aportion oit the periphery of the wheel being' shown in section on line7-7, ot' Fig. S. Fig. S is a cross section on line 8 8, oit Fig. 7.

Referring to the drawings and particu- Specieatien of Letters Patent.

Application filed March 12, 1912.

Patented Dec. 1U, 1913.

sei-iai No. 633,292.

larly to Figs. l and 2, the wheel body may consist of a hub Q, rim or'telly 3 oi nonmagnetic material, and interposed spokes l. Secured toand projecting); out fardly trom 'telly 3 are the conccntrieally arran,;ed plates 5 which comprise the opposite poles ot a circularelectro-magilet which may be energized by a series ot coils (3 arrangedbetween projections 5 on the inner periphery el. the plates. lurrent maybe supplied to the coils in any suitable manner. fln the constructionshown, the wheel is rotatable on spindle S, and secured to the wheel arethe slip or contact rings 7 and 8, with the leads 7 and 8 connectingthem, respectively, with opposite ends ot' coils (3. The current may bepassed to rings by brushes l) from any suitable. source, as t'rom astoragc battery, or 'trom the magneto with which most sell] ropelledvehicles are equipped. ',lhe tread-carrying rim of channel 'form andconsists ol base l() and the parallel inwardly extending' side plates llwhich are entered between and slidably engage the pole-forming plates 5ol the wheel body. Plates `1jl may be extended outwardly beyond channelbase l() lo 'torni the clencher elements ll itor confining;l a suitabletire or tread 1Q. The rim thus constructed constitutes` an armature orkeeper for the magnet. lhe cushioning' means, located in thechannel-like space between the wheel body and rim, may be variouslyconstructed. ln the embodiment here shown it consists ot radiallyarranged springs lf3, confined between non-magnetic band lll; secured to:telly 3, and channel base lt), thereby providing the necessaryinsulation.

To obtain the desired action the magnet and armature elements must socooperate as not to impede the relative radial movements ot the parts,but must retard the cireumt'erential movement. To accomplish this theengaging faces are divided into magnetic and nonanaejnetic sections, themagnetic sections o't' the olmosed faces being normally in engagementand so disposed as to have full play one on the other in directionradially of the wheel, but play in the opposite direction results in thefaces being separated and their magnetic force-transl:iitting areas sodiminished as to set up a magnetic pull which increases as the areasdiminish and stops the movement before there is destructive distortion0i. the cushioning mechanism.

The magnetic and nonmagnetic face por tions of the magnet and armatureelements are disposed radially of the Wheel and With like parts normallyin register, as in F ig. 5. Relative movement of the Wheel body, and rimin radial direction causes magnetic face parts 1?, 1'1" to slidelongitudinally of each other Without appreciably affecting theirmagnetic force-transmitting areas. But as said face parts are relativelynarrow, independent circumferential movement of e-ither the Wheel bodyor the rim results in moving the magnetic faces over the interposednonmagnetic material, somewhat as shown in F ig. 6, thereby immediatelydiminishing the magnetic force-transmitting areas thereof, and as theseareas diminish the magnetic pull increases with sufficient strength topreclude movement suflicient to cause damage. A range of movement isthus provided af*- fording suflicient flexibility circumfe-rentially ofthe parts, but which limits the same Within safe bounds. Lubricant maybe admitted to the engaging surfaces through ducts 15 leading from oilchannel 15. l'llien there is relative radial movement of the parts atthe bottom and top of the Wheel, due to distortion of the cushioningmeans under the Weight of the load or from other cause, there is asimultaneous relative circumferential movement of the parts at the sidesof the Wheel, and as such circumferential movement is opposed by themagnetic pull, as above described, the cushioning means iscorrespondingly stiifened and strengthened.

1n the embodiment of Figs. 7 and 8, a metallic Wheel felly 3 isillustrated which comprises a core for the single Wheel-encirclingmagnet coil 6 instead of the plurality of coils of the first describedconstruction, and in which adaptation it is of course necessary toprovide only one set ofA leads 18, 18 to contact rings 7 and 8.

The current for energizing the magnets may be obtained from varioussources and may be variously conducted to the magnet coils. And While aWheel is here shown which rotates on its spindle or axle, it Will beunderstood that the invention may be applied to Wheels Without regard tothe manner in which they are mounted.

1. The combination of a Wheel body and a rim movableA radially andcircumferentially relatively to each other, means for cushioning theradial movement, and magnetic means for opposing the circumferentialmovement.

2. The combination of a Wheel body, mag- `net poles on the body, atread-carrying rim movable radially and circumferentially of the body,the rim constituting an armature and having faces slidable on the magnetpoles inl direction circumferentially of the Wheel, the engaging facesof the rim and pole, being formed to diminish their engagement, as theparts move in circumferential direction from normal position, and meansfor cushioning the radial movement of the parts.

8. rlhe combination ofA a Wheel body, a magnet carried by the body andhaving two circular poles arranged concentrically With the body, atread-carrying rim movable circumferentially of the body, the rimconstituting an armature and having circular parts slidable on themagnet poles in circumferential direction, the engaging faces of thepoles and armature being shaped to diminish the area of their surfaceengage ment as the parts move circumferentially from normal position.

4;. The combination of a Wheel body, circular separated plates arrangedconcentrically of the body, means for energizing the plates toconstitute them opposite poles of magnet, a tread-carrying rim movablecircumferentially of the body, inwardly disposed circular plates carriedby the rim and overlapping and slidable on the poleforming plates, therim plates connected to form an armature, andthe faces of said platesand poles being formed to diminish the engaging areal of.v the magneticforcet-ransmitting portions thereof as the parts move circumferentiallyfrom normal position.

5. The combination of` a Wheel body, circular plates spaced apart andprojecting outwardly from theperiphery of the body, means for energizingthe plates to constitute them opposite poles of the magnet, arim-carrying tread movable circumferentially of the body,` platesprojecting inwardly from the tread and engaging andslidablecircumferentially of the pole-forming plates, the rim plates connectedto form an armature, and the slidably engaging faces of the platesformed of alternative sections of magnetic and non-magnetic materialwith the magnetic-material face portions of the opposed plates engagingeach other with such engagement diminished by relative circumferentialmovement of the body and rim.

6. The combination of a Wheel body2 separated plates projecting from theperiphery thereof, means for energizing the plates to provide oppositepoles ofi. a magnet, a side face of each plate consisting of separatedportions of magnetic metal and interposed portions of non-magneticmetal, a treadcarrying rim having inwardly projecting circularplate-like portions overlapping the pole-forming plates and slidablecircumferentially on the composite faces thereof, said rim platesconnected to form an armature, the pole-engaging faces of the rim platesconsisting of separated portions of magnetic metal and interposedportions of non-magnetic metal With the magnetic portions of the opposedplates normally engaging each other With said engagements adapted to bediminished by the relative circumferential movement of the body and rim.

7. The combination of a Wheel body7 and a rim movable radially andcircumferentially relatively to each other, a series of cushioningdevices arranged around the wheel for opposing the radial movement, andseries of coperating magnetic devices arranged around the Wheel on thebody thereof and on the rim for opposing the circumferential movementand for strengthoning the said cushioning means, substantially asdescribed.

In testimony whereof I afx my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

SAMUEL T. KRONENBERG. Vitnesses J. M. Nnsrr, F. E. GAITHER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressingthe "Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

